New directions in environmental research relating to health outcomes in children are leading investigators to consider increasingly complex theories and methodologies in the study of disease etiology, progression, and prevention as it relates to the youngest members of our society. The integration of behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors represents a significant challenge to researchers in this area. Such research ventures require an increase in theoretical sophistication, as well as a broadening of methodological and statistical expertise. In addition to providing a resource for the statistical analysis of data collected in the research cores, the core provides an important educational function for faculty and trainees. The Biostatistics and Data Management Core employs a range of strategies to achieve its aims and meet the needs of investigators in the Mount Sinai Children's Center. The members of this core are involved in all phases of the research, including project planning, pilot or exploratory work, ongoing project support, and data analysis and interpretation. The core's services all include a didactic component for training in statistical methods and related topics. In fulfilling these objectives, the core insures that the Mount Sinai Children's Center research is state-of-the-art, meeting the highest standards of rigor. The specific aims of the core are to, 1) provide a shared resource in biostatistical services, including consultation in study design, statistical analysis, and interpretation of results; 2) provide opportunities for education in biostatistical methods that integrate diverse domains of environmental health research?education will be in the form of one-on-one encounters arising in the course of consultations, mini-courses of didactic instruction, and a journal club; and 3) provide a resource for the establishment of databases and for monitoring the quality of the databases.